Colin Allred: Republicans Lied—Now You’re Paying More

Summary

Podcast Summary: Bulwark Takes - "Colin Allred: Republicans Lied—Now You’re Paying More"

Release Date: August 9, 2025
Host: Lauren Eagan
Guest: Colin Allred, Former U.S. Representative from Texas, Former Tennessee Titans Linebacker, and Current U.S. Senate Candidate

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Introduction

In this episode of Bulwark Takes, host Lauren Eagan engages in a comprehensive discussion with Colin Allred, a former Congressman from Texas and a former professional football player. Running for the U.S. Senate to succeed John Cornyn, Allred provides his insights on the current political climate in Texas, the challenges facing Democrats, and his strategies for the upcoming Senate race.

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Redistricting and Voting Rights in Texas

Discussion Points:

• Current Redistricting Efforts: Allred addresses the ongoing redistricting battle in Texas, emphasizing the Democratic strategy to deny a quorum and the potential long-term viability of this tactic.
• Legal Challenges: He highlights that regardless of legislative actions, redistricting plans will inevitably face judicial scrutiny, particularly concerning racial gerrymandering.
• Racial Gerrymandering Concerns: Allred asserts that the proposed maps constitute clear racial discrimination against Black and Brown voters, aimed at dismantling majority-minority districts.

Notable Quotes:

• “This is a clear cut racial gerrymander that will discriminate against black and brown voters in Texas.” [02:10]
• “In many ways, the court case is building itself.” [02:35]

Insights: Allred underscores the resilience of the voting rights framework, despite challenges posed by the 5th Circuit and a Supreme Court unfriendly to voting protections. He observes a growing grassroots backlash against Republican redistricting efforts, with increased organization and activism among impacted communities.

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Analysis of the 2024 Senate Race

Discussion Points:

• Performance Against Ted Cruz: Allred reflects on his 2024 Senate campaign, where he lost to Ted Cruz by approximately eight points, outperforming President Harris in Texas.
• Economic Messaging: He attributes his performance to effectively addressing the economic struggles of working-class Texans, emphasizing authenticity and personal experience.
• Learning from the Past: Allred discusses the importance of learning from the previous election's pitfalls, particularly regarding unmet economic promises and overreach by incumbents.

Notable Quotes:

• “I have a story. I was raised by a single mother... had to put some things back from the grocery store.” [05:30]
• “People are paying attention, people are organizing, and the backlash is building.” [04:05]

Insights: Allred emphasizes the significance of connecting with voters on genuine economic concerns, such as rising living costs and tax policies favoring the wealthy. His approach centers on demonstrating empathy and presenting actionable solutions to restore the American Dream for working families.

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Democratic Strategies for the 2026 Elections

Discussion Points:

• Policy Focus: Allred advocates for Democrats to concentrate on tangible issues like the economy, healthcare, and combating corruption rather than solely on identity politics.
• Building a Broad Coalition: He argues against ideological purity, suggesting that expanding the Democratic coalition to include diverse voices, including moderate Republicans like Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, is essential for statewide victories in red states like Texas.
• Message Authenticity: Emphasizing the need for authentic storytelling, Allred believes that conveying genuine life experiences will resonate more with voters than polished social media campaigns.

Notable Quotes:

• “This is going to be about the economy, about health care, and about how they're making all those things harder when they said that they were on their side.” [07:20]
• “How can you have anyone believe you if you're just going to change it depending on which election and which electorate you're in front of?” [13:44]

Insights: Allred stresses that addressing voters' immediate concerns with sincerity and building coalitions beyond traditional party lines are critical strategies for Democrats aiming to win in hostile environments. He highlights the importance of consistent messaging and maintaining integrity across different electoral contests.

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The Role of Social Media in Modern Politics

Discussion Points:

• Evolving Use of Social Media: Allred reflects on the changing landscape of social media in political campaigns, noting its dual role as a tool for communication and a potential distraction.
• Authenticity Over Perfection: He advocates for using social media to provide candid insights into his campaign thoughts rather than meticulously curated content.
• Limitations of Online Engagement: Recognizing that many working-class voters are not active on social media, Allred emphasizes the necessity of community-based outreach and authentic, in-person interactions.

Notable Quotes:

• “I think we have to use that authenticity to reach people where they are. Yes, online, some, but oftentimes in their communities.” [17:00]
• “Most working people don't have time to spend a whole lot of time on social media... By the time they get to bedtime, they're wiped out.” [16:50]

Insights: Allred acknowledges the strategic importance of social media but cautions against overreliance on it. He prioritizes direct community engagement and authentic interactions as more effective means of connecting with and mobilizing working-class voters.

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Conclusion

Colin Allred presents a strategic vision for the Democratic Party in Texas, focusing on authentic engagement, robust economic policies, and broad coalition-building to counteract Republican maneuvers like racial gerrymandering. His approach emphasizes genuine connections with voters, addressing their immediate concerns, and maintaining integrity across electoral phases. As he navigates his Senate campaign, Allred advocates for a balanced use of social media complemented by strong community outreach to effectively communicate and resonate with the electorate.

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End of Summary

Transcript

[Lauren Eagan]

What do you think makes the perfect snack?

[Colin Allred]

Hmm. It's gotta be when I'm really craving it and it's convenient.

[Lauren Eagan]

Could you be more specific?

[Colin Allred]

When it's cravinient.

[Unknown]

Okay.

[Colin Allred]

Like a freshly baked cookie made with real butter, available right down the street at am, pm. Or a savory breakfast sandwich I can grab in just a second at am, pm.

[Lauren Eagan]

I'm seeing a pattern here.

[Colin Allred]

Well, yeah, we're talking about what I.

[Lauren Eagan]

Crave, which is anything from am, pm.

[Colin Allred]

What more could you want? Stop by AM PM where the snacks and drinks are perfectly craveable and convenient. That's cravenience. Am, PM Too much. Good stuff.

[Lauren Eagan]

Hey guys, it's Lauren Eagan here at the Bulwark and I'm joined today by Colin Allred. He is a former member of Congress from Texas and he ran for Senate last year against Ted Cruz and he is running for Senate again, this time for John Cornyn seat. And he's also a former linebacker for the Tennessee Titans. Thank you for being here.

[Colin Allred]

Thanks Lauren. Appreciate it.

[Lauren Eagan]

Yeah, yeah. So I want to start off with this redistricting shit show that's happening in Texas right now. And I would, I just want to get your like really honest, like candid assessment of where things go from here. Because from my perspective, you know, Democrats have obviously fled the state. They're trying to deny a quorum. This is a tactic that they've used in the past. And understandably, people always crack like it's really hard to sort of make this work long term. So for my, from my view, like, I don't know how this ends. It just seems really hard. Like there's only so many tools that Democrats have. So give me your honest assessment of like where this is headed and is it just ultimately probably going to end in new maps being drawn?

[Colin Allred]

Well, maybe. And you know, just to give you a little background, for me, before I was in Congress after I played in the NFL, I was a voting rights lawyer and I dealt with issues like this. And so I say maybe because no matter what happens at the legislative level, this is going to be challenged in court. And the one know safe harbor that we do still have in voting rights law when it comes to redistricting is that you cannot do racial gerrymanders. And this is, in my opinion, and I'm a little bit of an expert, this is a clear cut racial gerrymander that will discriminate against black and brown voters in Texas. The districts they're targeting are all majority minority. Many of the actual members of Congress that they're targeting are minorities themselves. And they have been so blatant and open in what they're saying they want to do that in many ways, the court case is building itself. Now that that still relies on for us in Texas that we have to deal with a 5th Circuit that's incredibly hostile to voting and then a Supreme Court that's shown itself to be hostile to voting. But that's you're asking where you think this is going to go. And my mind as a voting rights lawyer, I know this will go to the courts. But then on the ground, what I'm seeing is that the backlash is building. And then when you create more competitive districts, be careful and watch out what you wish for.

[Lauren Eagan]

Do you think that backlash could be enough to stop Republicans from going through this? Because, I mean, it just seems like, you know, this is what Donald Trump wants and that's what they're probably going to do. So how are you kind of thinking about the impact of that backlash?

[Colin Allred]

Yeah, well, I testified in Austin to these legislators and was looking at them and telling them, you know, you don't have to do this. Like, it's, it's basically a very Texan trait that we could would tell the White House, you know, to go fly a kite. But I think it's likely that they will do it. The backlash that I'm thinking of is also the backlash to the day after and saying that we know what you're doing, that this is so blatant that folks are fired up, they're angry. I was at a, in a black church in Fort Worth a couple days ago on the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights act. Just packed house with folks just incredibly upset about what's going on, knowing that their congressional district in Fort Worth is being dismantled. A couple days before that, I was in Missouri City in Fort Bend county, where they're also under attack. Huge group of folks there fired up, upset about what's happening. People are paying attention, people are organizing, and the backlash is building.

[Lauren Eagan]

I want to talk a little bit about your senate race from 2024. You lost to Ted Cruz by about eight points. And I'm curious just what your assessment is of that race. And, you know, you're running again, so what is something that you feel like you could do differently this time that you maybe didn't do last time around?

[Colin Allred]

Yeah, I mean, you know, let's just look at it and say last election ended up going pretty negatively in a lot of places around the country, and we outran our presidential ticket by over Five points. And, you know, that's something that in the previous election, in 2020, when Joe Biden lost by 5 points, then that would have been a very close race. And here, you know, just the election went the other way. And so we have to recognize that. I think what we have to do is learn the lessons from it. And that in many ways, this was about working people in an economy that they couldn't afford, feeling like they're looking for somebody who was on their side. And that's. That's my story. I was raised by a single mother who's a public school teacher. Never met my father, relied on the same public schools that they're often underfunding here in Texas on the ymca. I know what it means for working people who are sitting there thinking, well, maybe somebody's going to help lower our costs. But the truth is they were lied to. And that makes me angry, especially as somebody who has been through this, specifically where my mom and I've gone to the grocery store, swiped her debit card, and couldn't afford what we needed that week and had to put some things back. They have done nothing but raise costs on working people. Also. They can, you know, cut taxes for the rich. And so we have to make sure folks know that and know what's going on. And a lot has changed in. In the last eight months. I mean, I know you feel that. We all feel that. But this is also something where this is going to be about the promises that they made that were not kept, but also just the unbelievable overreach they have engaged in. And what I'm looking forward to most in this campaign is spending time and. And showing, not telling working people that we care about them, that I know what we can do together to address what their biggest concerns are. That I've had those concerns myself. I know how to do it, that we have a rig system that we can fix together.

[Lauren Eagan]

I know you're facing a primary first, but do you view the big, beautiful bill and like these Medicaid cuts and all of that as kind of like the message that you and other Democrats should be running on in 2026, or what do you kind of think should be the overarching thing that the party's communicating to voters?

[Colin Allred]

I think it's a big part of it. I mean, you know, when I ran in 2018 for Congress, that was a year when they had gone after the Affordable Care act and health care. And my opponent was somebody who, in a gerrymandered Republican district, had voted to repeal the Affordable Care act something like 56 times or something. And by the end of it, he was saying, by the end of the campaign, he was saying that he was for the Affordable Care Act. You know, I think this is going to meet be a meat and potatoes election. And as much as the threats, democracy, you know, make me just stay up at night as a voting rights lawyer, as much as some of the constitutional overreach that I know is going to have long reaching impacts, concerns me. To me, this is going to be about, you know, folks when they sit down at their kitchen table at 9, they're thinking, you know, what are we going to do if grandma gets sick? How are we going to replace that car that we know needs to be replaced? How are we going to send our kid to a good school? It's going to be about the economy, about health care, and about how they're making all those things harder when they said that they were going to be on their side. And that to me, the bill is a part of it. It's a big part of it. It's a, it's a legislative, you know, kind of you package where you can point to things like saying, hey, this is going to raise your electric bills $800 a year because of what they did on renewable energy. But it's, it's part of an overall P picture that also includes tariffs, it also includes tax cuts for the rich. It also includes the incredible corruption that we're seeing. I think it's all part of that.

[Lauren Eagan]

You mentioned that you outperformed Harris in Texas in 2024, and I'm curious why you think that is and if there were specific positions that you took that were different from her, that can help us sort of understand that gap.

[Colin Allred]

Well, I mean, I think every, every race is different, of course. And you know, listen, I, I'm. My family's from the Valley. They're from the border, Brownsville, Texas, which is the very tip of Texas. My grandfather was a customs officer there. You know, I know that. And I was saying for some time that, you know, we had to do something about the sense of chaos that particularly border communities were feeling. Because if you're feeling in other parts of the country, just imagine what they're feeling, you know, at the border. And so I think that's part of why we did so well in South Texas in comparison. I think the biggest thing is, is that what we have to do in this election, and I do think looking back is important, or I think we have to do in this election is understand that for Working people coming out of COVID they were the ones who were going into work every single day. They weren't doing remote work. They were the ones in many cases who when we talked about know that a million Americans died. Well, who was that amongst.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Colin Allred]

They were the ones who when their schools, when schools were closed, they didn't have child care.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Colin Allred]

And that they came out of that and that even everything that we tried to do to try and you know, make sure that our economy got back going, that they were working harder for less and they were told in the last election that they were going to go right back to a great economy, that there's going to be a laser focus on them and they were just flat out lied to. And I understand working people thinking that maybe that's something that I can believe in, but we have to make sure they know that they were just flat out lied to and that it's not just my opinion, like to your point with that bill, that's a great example of it. But it's also this tariff policy is going to make this an incredibly expensive Christmas. I know what that means for these working families. And so yes, the last election is important, but in some ways we got to move on from it and say what's happening right now is that it's harder for working people to get ahead. American dream is slipping away. And at the same time we're seeing an unprecedented level of corruption that's going to the wealthy and the well connected. And that is a story that we can tell to working folks and that I'm looking forward to doing. But I think we should do it around the country as well.

[Lauren Eagan]

You know, you mentioned the border stuff and the Democratic Party I think is having a bit of a conversation right now about whether the on the national level, like do they need to moderate on some things or like create a bigger tent so that you can have people with different views on guns, border abortion, like whatever it might be, especially if you want a real shot at winning in a red state like Texas. I'm curious how you think about that and like your theory of the case of, you know, what is needed to win statewide in Texas because Democrats have been talking about winning there statewide for years and it hasn't happened.

[Colin Allred]

Yeah, well, I've won tough races. You know, the district that I ran in in 2018 was drawn for Republican. It was gerrymandered for him. He'd been there for 22 years. He'd been unopposed in the previous election. And we beat him, you know, pretty significantly. And when you do that, you then become the top target in the next election. And they couldn't get rid of me, so they gerrymandered the district. And, and I mentioned that to just say that to me this discussion is a little bit silly. The idea that we're not going to take, bring everybody in, like the idea that what we really need to do is just become more pure and that if I'm a black civil rights lawyer, okay, like I could spend a lot of time talking about, you know, what I think these tests could be. But that's not how we're going to help anybody.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Colin Allred]

To, in order to help folks, we have to bring more people into our coalition, including, you know, friends of mine like, you know, Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger. But also talk about real life and you know, listen, I grew up around guns. I grew up going to a camp where we were shooting rifles when I was 7 years old. Like, this is, let's talk about it. Let's talk about who we really are. Let's, let's stop seeding all this ground culturally to Republicans before we could even get into the policy issues. And so I am not a fan of folks who think that what we really need to do is just become incredibly ideological. I think that doesn't make any sense at all. But what I do think that I've seen that sometimes folks can confuse with ideology is that if you talk about what people care about, if you show them that you care, that then they will be responsive to that. That's not just about like saying, you know, one policy or another. I do think you have to have policies that respond to that, but that's more about how you're saying things and who you're talking to.

[Lauren Eagan]

Yeah. And you know, when we talk about like making the tent bigger, a different, a difference in your, in your Senate campaign experiences is you're probably going to have a more competitive primary this time around. I know we're really early in the cycle, but Beto o' Rourke is thinking about running James Talarico. So how do you think about like navigating, making that tent bigger but also like you have to get through a primary phase as well this time.

[Colin Allred]

Yeah, well, I've always had primaries every time I've run. And when I ran in 2018 and flipped that seat, I had a seven person primary and then a runoff had a primary last time when I ran for Senate. And so you're right, there's different levels and competitives, but I think you have to be confident enough in yourself and in what you believe that your message is not that different, regardless of whether you're running in a primary or a general election. And that's been my approach, you know, in every election that I've had, which is that I'm not going to try and just swing from one way or another, because the whole thing I'm trying to tell folks is that I really believe what I'm saying, you know, that this is not just for the, that.

[Lauren Eagan]

We'Ve been talking about.

[Colin Allred]

It's not the expediency of the moment.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Colin Allred]

Like, and how can you, how can you have anyone believe you if you're just going to change it depending on which election and which electorate you're in front of?

[Unknown]

Right.

[Colin Allred]

But I also think that there is a fundamental, there's a fundamental decency, but also what most voters, even in a primary, want is fairly modest.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Colin Allred]

What we're talking about here is oftentimes black and brown working people who don't believe that government is going to do everything for them and don't and aren't asking for that.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Colin Allred]

What they're asking for is a shot and a chance and an opportunity and to not be discriminated against and to have certain ladders of opportunity in place so their kids can get ahead. That's what they're asking for.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Colin Allred]

And so I think in election after election, we've seen this play out where it's, it's not just about the identity of who's running, but who you're talking to. And if you think that you're talking to, you know, an electorate that's online and that's incredibly well informed, I'm sorry, but that's, that's just not, that's not going to be it.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Colin Allred]

It's going to be working folks who are, have a lot going on in their lives and you need to show, not tell, that you care about them.

[Lauren Eagan]

How has your view of social media and how important that is and the job of being a politician changed over the course of your time in politics? Because I mentioned James Tallarico, he's obviously gotten a bunch of attention for his TikTok videos. And, you know, you've run a few races in the past few years. Like, has that role of social media just changed in how you kind of approach the job?

[Colin Allred]

I'm laughing.

[Lauren Eagan]

I've seen those gym videos. So, you know.

[Colin Allred]

Well, I'm laughing because when I was in the NFL, our head coach at the time, Jeff Fisherman, somebody posted something before a game. He was like, get off the social medias. And like. And I did. And so, like, I was like, okay, you know, and so I, I didn't.

[Lauren Eagan]

You're probably healthier for it.

[Colin Allred]

But yeah, yeah. And so I'm not like somebody who is dragged around by it. What I try and use it for is just as a tool to hopefully give folks some insight into what I'm thinking in this campaign. In particular, I want to do more of kind of just like, okay, what am I thinking right then? And just say it. And I'm not, I don't. I am firmly of the belief, though, that you can overestimate the power of social media and you can underestimate it.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Colin Allred]

And that we used to say in the NFL after a game, it's never as good as you think it is. It's never as bad as you think it is because the tape is going to be. Is going to be somewhere in the middle. And I think that's kind of what how I see this, which is that, like, yes, it's incredibly important to try and, you know, deliver what you want to deliver because that's your megaphone, that's your channel.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Colin Allred]

But I also think that, you know, many of the people who we're ultimately going to be communicating with are not on social media. Like my mom is not on social media and she's going to be voting in all these elections. Most working people don't have time to spend a whole lot of time on social media, even if they are on there.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Colin Allred]

Because they're working two, three jobs, taking care of their kids, trying to keep a roof over the kid's head and put food on the table. By the time they get to bedtime, they're wiped out.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Colin Allred]

And, and so I think we have to understand that and recognize that in the last election nationally, we lost folks who earned less than $50,000 a year, and that that is a huge problem for the Democratic Party and that that's not going to be fixed online.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Colin Allred]

That is not going to be fixed through, you know, smooth video editing or anything like that. That has to be fixed through authentic candidates telling their, their actual life experiences. As a young Jeezy line, I think about where some, he says some rappers just write. I recollect. Yeah, I, I don't. I'm not having to write down what working people are going through. I remember what they are going through. And I think that's what we have to do is use that authenticity to reach people where they are. Yes, online, some, but oftentimes in their communities.

[Lauren Eagan]

All right, Colin Allred, let's leave it there. Thank you so much for being here. And, you know, we got a long way to go till 2026, so please come back.

[Colin Allred]

All right, Sounds good. Appreciate you.